housing and equipment for sheep

14
Housing and Equipment or Sheep UNITED 5T A n s DEPARTMENT f AGR I CUl U R FARMER S  BULLETIN NUMBER 4 PRfP R[O Y SCIENCE AND EDUC TION AD M I N I S TRATI ON

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Housing and

Equipment or

Sheep

UNITED 5T

A

n s

DEPARTMENT

f

AGR

ICUl UR

FARMERS 

BULLETIN

NUMBER

4

PRfP R[O Y

SCIENCE AND

EDUC TION

ADM

INIS

TRATI

ON

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ONTENTS

Page

Shelters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Conventional shelters

3

Slatted floor housing • 4

Feeding equipment •

 

5

Feed racks

• •

5

Feed troughs 5

Self-feeders 6

Mineral feeders

• •

6

Water troughs

7

Feedlots • • •   • 7

Panels

• •

8

Fences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 8

Chutes •

  • •

8

Cutting chutes

8

Loading chutes

8

Squeezes •

• • • •

8

Scales 9

Corrals

 

9

Dipping vats

 

9

Shipping crates •

 

•  

1

Shearing equipment 1

T o o l s

12

Plans for sheep facilities

13

Revised July 1978

For sale by the Superintendent

of

Documents, U,S, Government Printing o ~

W.oshington,

nc

20402

Stock No. 001-000- 13816-8

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HOUSING

AND

EQUIPMENT

FOR SHEEP

You can build most of the housing

and

equipment i l lustrated or

described in this bulletin with readily

available

tools and

materials. Before

you build your own equipment, com

pare the cost of the materials you

will

need with the cost of buying ready

made equipment. Even if the original

cost of readymade equipment is

higher, it may be cheaper to use if it

is more durable and has built-in con

ventences.

Your county agricultural agent or

State extensio

_o specialist can give

you additional information about the

tools and materials you will need for

making your own equipment. f nec

essary, he can also help you modify

the plans to suit your climate and

soil. Consult local sheep raisers, too,

before you buy or build shelters and

equipment. They may be able to offer

helpful suggestions.

SHELTERS

onventional Shelters

A

small flock of

sheep

can be

housed in a barn with

other

stock. A

flock of

100

or more ewes needs sepa

rate housing, however, such as the

all-purpose unit illustrated

in fig-

ure I In mild climates, shelters need

to

do

little more than provide shade

for the animals (fig. 2). Even in places

where

winters

are

severe

sheep

should not be shut in, except during

storms and when they are lambing.

The complete unit in figure I can

house 30 to

36

ewes. It can be closed in

during storms. The pen panels, feed

racks, creep, and trough can be

rearranged for lambing, shearing, fat

tening lambs, and other operations. If

there

is

electricity

at

the barn you can

equip

the

lambing pens ( jugs ) with

heat lamps to warm newborn lambs in

cold weather.

Directions for building the housing

in figure 1are in USDA Plan 5919, and

for figure 2 in USDA Plan 5926. You

will find plans for another permanent

sheep shed

in

USDA Plan 5874.

Here are some points to keep in

mind when you are planning a shelter:

• Allow 8 square feet

of

floorspace

for each lamb;

14

square feet for a

small ewe;

and

20 square feet for a

large ewe.

• Build the shelter or

barn

on well

drained land. It should face away

from the wind.

• Locate windows and doors

where they will let in plenty of light

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and air and make the shelter cool in

summer. Be sure that windows and

doors fit tight to prevent drafts .

• Clay noors should slope toward

the front of the building.

• Roofing should

be

sound and

resistant to wind damage.

• Place troughs on eaves for rain

runoff.

• Pole type sheds

are

generally

cheaper to build than those on con

crete or masonry foundations. Poles

HEQ

STOR

L MB

FEEDING

and lumber that are in contact with

the ground should

be

pressure-treated

with a preservative. t

is

best to use a

nonstaining preservative.

Slatted loor Housing

You may want to use slatted floor

housing if you are going to practice

intensive sheep raising.

Use

expanded metal or

2- by 2-in

ch

lumber to build a slatted floor .

f

you

fEE

RACK

Figu re I  Above, complete unit fo r a small flock of sheep; below, dimensions and interio r

arra

ngem

ent. USDA Plan

5919

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Figure 2.- Lightweight, temporary sheep shed. (USDA Plan 5926)

use expanded metal use l/8  inch

sheets, rolled flat, with 9/ 16-inch by 1-

5/8 inch diamond-shaped holes.

Fasten the metal to treated, 2- by 6-

inch wooden frames with cross sup

ports every 4 feet.

If you use lumber, trim the lower

edges of the 2- by 2-inch pieces so that

there is

5 8

inch between the upper

edges and 314 inch between the lower

edges of each pair of slats.

Support

the

slats every

18

inches.

The floor should be 2 to 3 feet

above

ground. This allows for

a

year s accumulation of manure. The

floor can be removed for cleaning once

a year. Provide 1 to 14 sq uare feet of

floorspace for each ewe. Bedding is not

necessary.

To

use slatted floor housing, move

lambs

and

ewes from the lambing

area to the slatted floor 4 or 5 days

after lambing. Wean lambs at about

6

days and finish them by themselves

on

the

slatted

floor.

These lambs usually

gain weight at a very good rate. In

addition, lambs raised on a slatted

Ooor will be practically free of

parasites.

FEE ING EQUIPMENT

Build

and

locate feeders where you

can fill them easily. Keep them clean;

sheep may refuse to eat from a dirty

feeder. Keep feed dry and free from

insects.

Feed Racks

Combination hay and grain racks

are best for small flocks. When

weather permits, feed hay outdoors in

portable racks. You will find racks

suitable for outdoor use in USDA

Plans 5910 and 5913. If the racks are

inside the shelter (figs. 3 and 4),

be

sure that you can fill them without

entering the pen.

USDA

Plan 5913

also shows another indoor feed rack.

Feed Troughs

Feed troughs are generally made of

wood. Although troughs

may

be

V-

shaped, Oat-bottomed troughs are

more stable and easier to keep clean,

especially if they can be

reversed.

For

small farms

portable feed

troughs are more practical than

sta

tionary ones. They can be used in the

5

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-.-

_.--0

tt J

_ .

-

..

-- .- .. Jo

Figure 3.- Combinalion hay and grain rack.

field, as well as near the barn. Brace

them on the ends with metal straps

and

build them at least 8 inches wide.

Instructions for making portable feed

troughs are in USDA Plan 5918.

Use heavy, seasoned lumber.

If you

cannot get well-cured lumber for the

bottom

line the trough with tem

pered

hardboard

to

help prevent

cracks

and

make the trough more

durable.

In a combination hay and grain

trough, provide 1 to 12 inches of

trough space for each lamb and as

much as 18 inches for each ewe

weighing

14 pounds or

more .

Self Feeders

Self-feeders

can

save you time and

labor

in

feeding young sheep. They

generally hold 6

to 1

days supply or

6

pelleted

feed

or grain. Do not self

feed pellets or grain to mature sheep.

The self-feeder shown on the front

cover is weatherproof. It is 15 feet

long (30 reet or trough space), but it

can be built in

other

lengths. It has a

capacity of 3,000 pounds (50 bushels)

and will feed pellets to 1 lambs for

about

O days. You.will find direc

tions ror building it in USDA Plan

5861.

Mineral Feeders

Make sa lt and other mineral sup

plements available to the flock at all

times. Set a block of salt on a po st or

in

an open box. If you use granulated

salt, put it

in

a small feeder to keep it

dry and clean.

If internal parasites are a

pr

oblem,

you

can

parti.ally control them by

mixing phenothiazine with the salt.

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Here is a good phenothiazine mix

lure: 6 parts salt with trace minerals 3

parts dicalcium phosphate and I part

phenothiazine.

USDA Plan 5916 tells how to build

a se lf-feeding  weather-tight salt

feeder for 50

to

100 ewes.

Water Troughs

Water troughs may be made of gal

vanized iron or concrete. Iron is usu

ally cheaper but concrete is more

durable . Round troughs require less

material than sq uare or rectangular

troughs. Make sure that the troughs

are easy to clean.

Allow I foot of trough space for

every

10

sheep. One sheep will drink

about

2 1

/ 2 gallons of water per day.

Use a float valve connected to a

reservoir or water hydrant to control

the water level in the trough.

For good drainage be sure that the

ground slopes away from the tank. A

paved surface that extends g to IO feet

around the tank prevents mudholes

from forming.

In cold regions locate the tanks in

protected places such as behind a

windbreak or in a shed. to reduce the

danger of freezing.

A single tank in a fence line

or

in a

corner can se rve two

or

more lot

s.

f

you use galvanized tanks without

bottoms . seal the earth inside the

tank wall with bentonite.

If you use an automatic waterer. you

will

not have to haul water

and

the

sheep will ha ve a constant supply

of

fresh water.

eedlots

Many

sheep

raisers especially

those who fatten sheep for market 

confine their flocks in feedlots.

Locate lots

in

well-drained areas 

close to feed storage facilities. Allow

about 30 square feet per head. The

shortest part of the lot should run

downhill.

Figure 4.- Combination hay and grain rack.

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Pave the feedlot to prevent mud

holes. f you do not want to pave an

entire feedlot

pave only around

feeders and waterer

s.

Make sure that runoff from the

feedlot does

nol pollute

streams

.

Consult your local county agent

or

Soil Conservalion Service office for

advice as to the need for pollution

control facilities.

P NELS

Use

panels

to separate fattening

lambs by

age

to control sheep at

shearing time and to form temporary

feeding fences and lambing pens for

ewes and newborn lambs.

Build 10-foot panels of

1

by

8-inch

boards. You can stack hinged or

single panels for storage. USDA Plan

5917

gives instructions for building

fencing  feeding and creep panels.

FENCES

Build outside fences 5

feet i

7 1 /

2-foot

posts driven

2 1

/ 2 feet

into the ground. Stretch one strand

of barbed wire close to the ground.

Run

4-foot rectangular-mesh wire

fencing above

it.

Run two strands of

barbed wire above the mesh.

Build cross fences

at

least 40 inches

high. They need not

be equipped with

barbed wire.

f

you

use

homemade gates make

sure they are strong. They should be

as high as the fence.

Fence

in

enough pastures to allow

sheep to

move

frequently to fresh

ground. This is necessary to preserve

the pastures and to control internal

parasites.

Electric fences are showing promise

of

being effective for protecting sheep

against predators and dogs.

8

CHUTES

Cutting Chutes

A cutting chute can help separate

the

flock into smaller groups for

breeding

lambing   shearing   or

CUlling. To keep sheep from turning

around. make the chutes about 18

inches wide.

USDA Plan 5859 gives directions

for building a portable chute. It has

removable hinge pins that allow the

gates to open from either side. With

this chute you can separate sheep

moving in either direction into three

groups. To separate the flock into

more than three groups  install more

than one chute and build small pens

opposite each gate.

Loading Chutes

Locate a loading chute

in

or near

the

corral. Leave enough room

around it for a truck . Build the chute

at least 18 feet long and 1 1 / 2 feet

wide .

You will

find

directions

for

building a

variable·height

loading

chute in USDA Plan 5924. This chute

permits easy loading into any type of

truck body. It has a concrete

~ o u t r -

weight to counterbalance part of the

chute so

that

one man can raise

and

lower it.

There

is a

3·foot-Iong

entrance fence that is taller than the

chute walls to keep sheep from

jumping out. A permanent fence can

be attached to it .

Squeezes

A sheep squeeze is convenient for

examining or treating an animal but

a sheep may

be

held by hand easily  if

necessary. Consult local sheep raisers

for easy ways to handle and hold

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Figure

5.

- Tilting sq ueeze for sheep. USDA

Plan 6006)

sheep.

Figure 5 shows a

tilting

squeeze

that

keeps the sheep in a

prone position and permits regular

inspection and trimming of the feet.

Directions for building the squeeze

are in USDA Plan 6006.

SCALES

You should

weigh

sheep

and

fleeces to

keep

your production

records accurate and to form a basis

for selecting breeding stock.

Use a small milk scale to weigh

fleeces and newborn lambs. For

larger sheep, on a small farm where

sheep can be weighed one at a time,

use portable scales with a 5OG pound

capacity.

On a large farm you may need a

permanent scale

that

can weigh

several sheep at a time. Locate it near

feeding pens or corrals. Place the

scales on a platform with sides. This

keeps

the sheep from

crowding

against

the sides

of the pen and

causing errors in the readings.

CORRALS

A well-built and well-located

system of corrals can save you a lot

of wo rk . USDA Plan 6019 shows Ihe

details of three basic corral desig

ns

.

Equip your corral system with a

squeeze chute a

cutting chute

holding pens, a water trough, scales,

spray

area and

loading

facilities.

Locate it on well-drained ground .

The cutting area

should

form

enough pens that lead to the cutting

gate for all the culs you need to

make.

A shallow trough in the cutting

chute can

be used for a foo tbath.

Sheep can walk through it for treat

ment of foot ailments.

DIPPING VATS

Dipping is the most effective way to

treat

shee p for control of lice, ticks.

and mites. Vats for dipping are

usually made of

concrete

or gal

vanized iron.

The permanent vat

in

figure

is

made of

concrete

, which is more

durable than iron. t rests on well

tamped earth. The bottom and sides

are 4 to 6 inches thick. The l

ow

roof

over Ihe front keeps Ihe sheep from

jumping into the vat and splashing the

liquid. The rear

of

the vat slopes

20

to

25

degrees and is fitted with slats to

help the sheep climb out. For mo re

delails, see USDA Plan 5390.

NOT

E

You

can

use a

hi

g h

pressure sprayer at least

25

pounds

press ure per square inch) instead of a

vat. If

yo

u u

se

a sprayer, be sure to

spray the entire surface

of

each ani

mal.

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Figure 6

 

Permanent concrete dipping vat. USDA Plan 5390)

SHIPPING CRATES

Strong crates help prevent acci

dents

when

sheep

are

shipped

to

exhibitions or to breeders. Use well

seasoned pine boards I inch thick.

Fasten troughs for water and

feed to

one end of each crate.

Collapsible crates

cost more to

construct than noncollapsible crates,

but they can be folded for easy return

to the shipper.

USDA Plan 5867 tells howto build

both collapsible and noncollapsible

crates. These crates weigh

50

to 75

pounds and will

hold a sheep

weighing up to 300 pounds. Crates

should be

about

I foot longer and

I

foot

wider

than

the

animals.

Increase these clearances by

about 50

percent for ewes

in

advanced stages of

pregnancy.

SHEARING EQUIPMENT

A shearing room should include

room for holding sheep while they are

1

sheared and facilities for keeping the

wool clean afterward.

If a shearing room with sacking

racks fig. 7 is not practical for you,

use 200 pound capacity paper or

. plastic-lined wool bags

in

a packing

rack. USDA Plan 59 I I gives

instructions

for building a hinged

rack that folds flat for easy moving and

storage. It also has a ring-type bag

clamp on a removable top.

A rack without hinges or a special

clamp is shown

in

the same set of

plans. This

type of rack is less

expensive to build. t can be taken

apart and reassembled.

Tie fleeces into compact bundles

with paper twine. If you have only a

few

sheep you may want to use a

hinged

tying

box. Directions

for

making a

box

are in USDA Plan

5805. If you have a larger flock , how

ever, you should learn to tie fleeces

without

using the

box. After you

practice a little, you.will find that this

is

faster than using a box.

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TOO S

Here are some small tools needed

for raising sheep:

• Docking stool

and

docking

chisel, sharp knife, e astrator. or all

in-one tool for severing tails and cas

trating the male lambs.

• Pruning knife, pruning shears,

or

commercial foot-rot shears for trim

ming feet.

2

• Punch, dies, and metal tags for

numberi ng sheep.

• Graduated nursing bottle with

nipple for measuring medicines and

raising

orphaned and

disowned

lambs.

• Hand shears for trimming fleeces

and removing tags .

• One power-operated shearing

machine for a small flock is adequate.

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  lanNo

5019

5733

5808

5809

5811

5813

6058

5861

5863

5867

5874

5877

5905

5910

5911

5912

5913

5914

5915

5916

5917

5918

5919

5924

5926

5999

6 6

6019

6043

6047

6096

6142

PLANS FOR SHEEP FACILITIES

Sheep shed - 16' x 24'

Sheep shed - 30' x 60'

Title

elf feeder for sheep - 2'8 W,

8'

L, 4' H

Parting chutes for sheep - IS x 24' and

16

x 36'

Sheep shed - 20' x 72'

Sheep shed - 24' x 92'

Three-way cutting gates - 2'4 x 5'7

Self feeder for sheep - IS' long, 30' trough

Combination lamb brooder and ewe feeder -

2'

x

8'

Shipping crates for sheep - 1'9 W, 4' L.

3'

H

Sheep shed - 26' x 120'

Weighing crate for sheep - 27 W, 42 L, 34 H

Sheep equipment - feeder 16'

L,

lamb shelter 16' L

Hay and grain feeder - for

to

sheep

Wool packing racks

Ewe stanchion - 2'10 x

3'

Sheep feeders - 3' W, 6' L, 2'6 and

1

6

W 8' L

3'4

H

Portable self-feeder for sheep - 8'

L,

16' trough

Lamb feeder - 1'6 W,

8'

L, and mineral box at each end

Mineral feeder for sheep - 1'4 W, 5'5 L

Fencing and feeding panels for sheep -

3'

x 10' sections

Sheep equipment - grain troughs - 10' long

Sheep and lambing shed - 20' x 32'

Variable height loading chute for sheep - 1'6 x 18'

Shelter for sheep - 28' x 48'

Portable dipping vat for sheep - trailer unit

Tilting squeeze for sheep

Corrals for sheep

Sheep corral

Sheep chair

Shearing shed and corral for sheep

Portable foot bath for sheep

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HOW TO ORDER WORKING DR WINGS

Complete working drawings may

be obtained from the extension agri-

cultural engineer at your State uni-

versity. There may

be

a small charge

to cover cost of printing.

request to Agricultural Engineer, Sci-

ence and Education Administration-

Extension, U.S. Department of Agri-

culture. Washington. D.C. 20250. He

will forward your request to the cor-

rect university.

f

you

do not know the locati on of

your

State

university

send

your

PREC UTION

Do

not

use paint containing lead

on sheep equipment

or

on parts

of

building accessible to sheep. Poison-

ing may result when anima1s lick

or

chew objects covered with paint

containing lead.